IIM to tie up with Columbia Biz School

IIM-A authorities say that the move is a part of the institute's global brand building effort.

As part of its global brand-building mission, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is joining hands with the Columbia Business School, one of the top 10 management schools of the world.

"A team of experts from the Columbia Business School had visited our campus earlier and everything has been finalised. We are signing the agreement Thursday," IIM-A director Bakul H Dholakia added.

"This is certainly a step ahead in our student exchange programme and better exposure for our students," he said adding that R Glenn Hubbard, dean of the Columbia Business School is leading the delegation from the US to India.

Hubbard will reach New Delhi January 18to sign the tie-up, a spokesman of the American business school said.

IIM-A authorities said that the move was part of the institute's global brand building effort.

"It's a relation between two quality institutes of the world. Both of us can exchange our expertise in teaching and research work and help students get international exposure," IIM-A chief spokesman Ashok K Shah said.

"We have already tied up with nearly 44 institutes across the globe. Under the programme, students attend one term of three-and-a-half months at institutes abroad. And all this is giving the international recruiters a better idea about our quality.

"Though we have no dearth of recruiters, a tie-up with the Colombia Business School would boost our placement capabilities," he said. Last year, the institute had forged a tie-up with Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.